Fabric for garments for quick drying of wearer

ABSTRACT

A terry fabric formed on a circular knitting machine from a first loop yarn comprised of water absorbing material, a second loop yarn comprised of moisture wicking material; and a tie yarn comprised of an elastic material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a terry fabric formed on a circular knitting machine. The terry fabric is primarily intended for garments, made of three yarns, one yarn forming exterior loops, the second forming interior loops, and the third being a tie yarn connecting the exterior and interior loops. The fabric is intended to quickly dry a wearer, who has donned a garment formed of the fabric, after having exited a wet environment, such as a shower, bath, pool or ocean.

2. Prior Art

Using circular knitting machines to manufacture terry fabric is long known in the art. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,926,307 (the “'307 Patent”) discloses the manufacture of double-sided loop fabric (i.e., traditional terry fabric, also known as terry cloth fabric) with a circular knitting machine with each of three yarns fed into a respective needle for formation of the fabric. The '307 Patent discusses the use of cotton for terry cloth fabric for clothing, particularly for its ability to absorb water. The '307 Patent also discusses the use of polyester in a single-sided loop fleece fabric for clothing, with polyester being used for its heat insulating properties.

The invention described in the '307 Patent related to a double-sided looped fabric formed of three yarns, an upper loop yarn, a lower loop yarn, and a tie yarn, all formed of propylene. Alternative embodiments described in the '307 Patent include substituting cotton yarn, or a combination of cotton with propylene, for one or more of the three yarns such that “it may be possible to assist in wicking water away from the body of an individual wearing a fabric constructed of the fabric.’

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a fabric for a garment that would quickly dry a person, who being wet, such as from just exiting from a shower, bath, pool, ocean or other wet environment, dons such garment. The fabric in with a circular knitting machine from three yarns, namely, a water absorbing exterior loop yarn, a water wicking interior loop yarn, and an elastic tie yarn. In the preferred embodiment, the exterior loop yarn is primarily cotton, the interior loop yarn is polyester and cotton blend, and the tie yarn is spandex. Garments formed from the fabric include hoodies, jackets, shirts and other tops, pants and other bottoms, sweat clothes, robes and hats. The invented fabric is also excellent for towels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a depiction of the three yarns forming the fabric of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the invented terry fabric is described herein.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled person.

The terry fabric is manufactured according to long-established technology represented by circular knitting machines. The invented fabric is manufactured on a circular knitting machine fitted with three needles. The first needle is fed with a water absorbing yarn, depicted as yarn 12 in FIG. 1, that will form the fabric's exterior loops which will be the exterior surface (or upper surface) of the fabric, the second needle is fed with a moisture wicking yarn, depicted as yarn 14 in FIG. 1, that will form the fabric's interior loops which will be the interior surface (or lower surface) of the fabric, and the third needle is fed with a tie yarn, depicted as yarn 16 in FIG. 1. A tie yarn is also known as a ground yarn.

The tie yarn is an elastic yarn. In the preferred embodiment the tie yarn is primarily spandex, and more preferably is 100% spandex.

In the preferred embodiment, the water absorbing, exterior loop yarn is primarily cotton, and more preferably is 100% cotton.

Moisture wicking yarns are well known to those having ordinary skill in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the moister wicking interior loop yarn is a blend of multi-length hydrophobic (i.e., water repelling fibers) combined with natural, hydrophilic (water absorbing) fibers. In a preferred embodiment the interior loop yarn is 85% polyester and 15% cotton. Among current sources of suitable interior loop yarn is a company doing business as drirelease, located in East Brunswick, N.J.

This moisture wicking loops draws moisture away from a wearer's skin and pushes disperses the moisture toward drier interior loops and toward the exterior, water absorbing loops of the fabric.

Garments formed of this fabric, such as hoodies, jackets, shirts and other tops, pants and other bottoms, sweat clothes, robes and hats, have the moisture wicking interior loops as the inside surface of the garment and the water absorbing exterior loops as the exterior surface of the garment.

As a result, a wet wearer of a garment formed of the invented fabric dries off very quickly, and even more quickly if the wearer engages in normal movements. If a towel is formed from the invented fabric, the moisture wicking side should be made evident so that the user knows that that is the side of the towel to contact the user's skin.

It will be understood that various changes of the details, materials, steps, arrangement of parts and uses which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art, and such changes are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. 

We claim the following:
 1. A terry fabric comprising: a first loop yarn comprised of water absorbing material; a second loop yarn comprised of moisture wicking material; and a tie yarn comprised of an elastic material; wherein the first loop yarn is formed into loops which will be the exterior surface of the fabric of the terry fabric and the second loop yarn is formed into loops which will be the interior surface of the fabric of the fabric.
 2. The terry fabric of claim 1 wherein the first loop yarn is primarily cotton.
 3. The terry fabric of claim 2 wherein the tie yarn is primarily spandex.
 4. The terry fabric of claim 3 wherein the second loop yarn is primarily polyester.
 5. The terry fabric of claim 5 wherein the fabric is manufactured on a circular knitting machine.
 6. A garment formed substantially of terry fabric comprising: a first loop yarn comprised of water absorbing material; a second loop yarn comprised of moisture wicking material; and a tie yarn comprised of an elastic material; wherein the first loop yarn is formed into loops that are the exterior surface of the garment and the second loop yarn is formed into loops that interior surface of the garment.
 7. The garment of claim 6, wherein the first loop yarn is primarily cotton.
 8. The garment of claim 7 wherein the tie yarn is primarily spandex.
 9. The garment of claim 8 wherein the second loop yarn is primarily polyester.
 10. The garment of claim 9 wherein the terry fabric is manufactured on a circular knitting machine. 